Can handling apparatus



] Marcli28,1939. v A. R. THOMPSON CAN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9', 1957 INVE NTOR. A/fier/ fi. Flam 05am.

ATTORNEY.

Patented M r. 28, 1939 Albert R. Thompson, Los

Gatos, Oalif., assignor to Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application August 9, 1937, Serial No.'158,161"

sciaims. (Cl. 198-25) This invention relates to can handling appa-' ratus such as cookers, coolers, and theJike of -the reel and spiral canway type, and relates more particularly to the provision of improved'means 5 for ejecting cans from such apparatus.

It is a general object of the invention to provide improved means for ejecting cans from apparatus of the character referred to, which has a minimum number of partsv and operates cm- H) ciently.

Another object'of the invention isto provide improved can ejecting means for apparatus of the character referred to in which the pusher bars .and the portion of the spiral canway assol5. ciated therewith immediately-preceding the ejection of the cans, form the sole support and guide means for the cans as they approach the ejector means. Q

Other objects of the invention will be apparent 20 from the following description of a'preferred embodiment taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: v

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a cooker of the reel and spiral canway type illus- 25 trating the discharge end of the cooker.-

Rig. 2. is an enlarged fragmentary section taken through the axis of the reel and the ejector wheel as indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevatlonof the apparatus taken in the plane of the line 8-4 in Fig. 2.

The cooker may comprise a horizontally disposed shell iii in which a spiral canway is formed as by a helically disposed T bar Ii for cooperation with the angle-shapedv pusher bars i2 of 86 the rotatable reel. The bars I! extend longitudinally of the reel and are supported by suitable reelheads I! on the reel shaft ll which is journalled for rotation in bearingsis centrally of the shell ill. The above described structure 40 is conventional .and'operates in the usual manner, whereby the pusher bars i2 operate to carry cans fed to the cooker around the periphery of the shell as the cans are guidedlongitudinally of the shell by the spiral canway formed by the 45 1' bar ll.

convolution of the canway, ejector means are provided for removing the cans from the reel and'discharging them from the cookerthrough suitable discharge means.

60 The ejector meansmay comprise a wheel i8 journalled for rotation on shaft l'l'which is supported by bracket l8 on the head of the shell lb. The axis i! of the ejector wheel is within the circumference of the reel so that the teeth 55 I9 will project between adjacent angle bars l2 .of supporting the cans.

As the cans travel around the lastand be driven thereby, the size and location of the wheel i6 being such that the teeth I! will servejto lift cans 2i which are being carried at this time by the pusher bars, from the reel and into a suitable-discharge chute 22 which is mounted on the shell ill below a discharge opening'23 therein, i

In conventional constructions, it has been customary to provide special guide and supporting means for the cans during their last travel about 10 the periphery of the shell, the construction of the pusher bars being suchas to be incapable This has resulted in a more or less expensive construction and has been somewhat unsatisfactory in operation because of the wear on the cans in sliding along the auxiliary support and guide, and also because the bars do not have suflicient strength.

I have eliminated the above noted disadvantageous features by forming the angle bars so that they, with the associated portion of the spiral canway, form the sole support and guide means for the cans during their last movement about, the periphery of the shell. To accomplish this end, the circumferential flanges of the angle 26 bars i2 are partially cut away as at 24 (Fig. 3) in the path of the ejector teeth IS, the space between the adjacent angle bars I2 in such path being less than the diameter of the can 2i for which the cooker is built, so that the can will 80 be supported entirely by the adjacent bars i2 as shown at the top of Fig. 3, as it approaches the ejector wheel i6. Preferably, this spacing is just enough wider than the greatest width of the teeth 19. to allow sufficient clearance for the teeth as 85 they project through the openings, while being sufllciently small to support the can as noted. above. By this construction, the need for auxillary guide and support means for'the cans is removed, anda simple and eflicient construction 40 is provided which will not subject the cans to undue wear.

' While-I have shown and described a preferred I .form of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is capable oi, variation and modiflcation, and its scope therefore should be limited only by the proper interpretation of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In anapparatus for ejecting cans from a cooker or the like of the reel and spiral canway type, a rotatable reel of longitudinally extend ing angle shaped pusher bars,'each bar having one flange extending substantially-radially of said reel and the other flange extending suoso stantially circumierentially of said reel, spiral canway means surrounding said reel, a toothed ejector wheel mounted within the circumference of said reel and having involute teeth driven by said reel, d discharge means for receiving cans from said reel; the-circumferential flanges of said pusher bars being partially cut away in the path of said ejector wheel to provide circumferential flange portions of reduced width in said path, whereby to allow the teeth oi said. wheel to project through between successive pairs of adjacent bars and liit the cans from the reel into said discharge means while providing support for cans upon the reel until engagement thereof by said ejector wheel.

2. In an apparatus for ejecting cans from a cooker or the like of the reel and spiral canway t pe, a rotatable reel of longitudinally extending angle shaped pusher bars, each bar having one flange extending substantially radially oi said aware? width in said path, whereby to allow said teeth to project through between successive pairs of adjacent bars and lift the cans iromthe reel into said discharge means with said reel forming the sole support for cans as they approach said ejector. means.

3. In an apparatus icr ejecting cans from a cooker or the like of the reel and spiral canway type, a rotatable reel oi longitudinally extending .angle shaped pusher bars, each bar having one flange extending substantially radially 01' said.

reel and the other flange extending substantially circumi'erentially of said reel, spiral canway means surrounding said reel, ejector means mounted within the circumference of said reel and having teeth for removing cans therefrom, and discharge means disposed outside the circumference of said reel to receive cans therei'rom; said angle shaped pusher bars being partially cut away in the path 01' said ejector teeth to provide circumferential flange portions of reduced width in said path, whereby to allow said teeth to proiect through between successive pairs.

of adjacent bars and lift the cans from the reel into said discharge means, the cutaway portions of said angle bars and the portion 0! said spiral canway means cooperating therewith forming the sole supporting and guiding means for cans associated therewith other than said ejector means.

ALBERT a. THOMPSON: 

